Och, they're not really naughty at all - here's our list of slightly sinful social enterprises that are actually good for the soul. This is the latest TFN #SocEntSummer list
New Lanark Ice Cream
If your tongue is tingling for some creamy ice-cream that won’t prick your conscience this summer, head along to Ebi and Tennant’s butchers in Lanark or Sweet & Treats in Carluke to get your hands on New Lanark ice cream. The vanilla flavour was awarded a diploma of merit at the Harrogate Ice Cream Expo in 2015, while the Jaffa Cake flavour picked up a diploma in the open flavour class. The famous jammy dodger (pictured) is particularly popular. The ice-cream is made on site at World Heritage Site New Lanark, proceeds from its sale go towards the restoration and development of the historic Lanarkshire village. New Lanark Ice-Cream is sold in a selection of shops in central Scotland, so keep an eye out.
FPA Pleasure
If the long, hot days are putting you in the mood for some fun in the bedroom, fortunately you can indulge your desires and make the world a better place at the same time! The Family Planning Association (FPA) recently launched FPA Pleasure selling a range of sex toys for men, women, couples and beginners alongside condoms, dams, lube and essentials (batteries). Sex toy prices start at just £6.99 and charity hopes the shop will make money and break the taboo around sexual enjoyment. FPA works to educate, inform and campaign on sexual health issues.
Harry Specter's Fine Chocolates
If your other half needs a little wooing to prepare for FPA Pleasure time, then why not win them round with luxury chocolates. Cambridge-based Harry Specters sells beautiful, handmade chocolates made with the finest-grade chocolate, ethically sourced from sustainable cocoa. The rest of the ingredients, from cream to fruit, are locally sourced and the chocolates are free from artificial flavours and preservatives. What really makes Harry’s Choc’s a delight is that it employs young people with autism. In the last year it has provided employment and training opportunities to an impressive 144 young people.
Empowerment Pants
There’s nothing really naughty about Sylvia Douglas’s Empowerment Pants - unless you consider feeling like a superwoman a sin! It is underwear though, so we thought we’d include it here. Women can pop on a pair of these pants on the day of an interview, when giving a big speech or even on a first date to generate a feeling of invincibility. You’ll feel even more like a superstar when you realise you are helping other Scottish women who need real help developing confidence and self-esteem; the pants fund MsMissMrs confidence building workshops for women from some of Scotland’s poorest communities.
Who Made Your Pants
A little bit racy and little bit lacy, a pair of chilliberry or elecktronika are ideal for a saucy summer liaison. Who Made Your Pants produces lingerie from its Southampton cooperative and believes every woman should have a little bit of gorgeous under their clothes. It buys end-of-season fabric from big underwear companies and turns them into gorgeous, sexy lace-trimmed new pants designed for comfort and no VPL. The factory employs women who’ve had a hard time – primarily refugees from Afghanistan, Somalia and Sudan.
Forty Hall Vineyard
If your idea of an ideal summer is lazing around in the sunshine enjoying a glass or two (or perhaps a whole bottle) of fizz, you’ll soon be able to rest assured the next day’s banging headache was all for a good cause. Sadly, the UK’s first ever social enterprise vineyard isn’t releasing its inaugural sparkling wine until this autumn. However, if you want to support this limited edition vintage, created from Chardonnay, Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier grapes from Forty Hall Vineyard’s 2013 harvest, you can get your hands on it by sponsoring a vine before 15 September. Forty Hall Vineyard is based in North London, is managed by Capel Manor College and runs a series of ecotherapy projects, which use working on the vineyard to help tackle mental health problems.
Did we miss you?
If you’re an social enterprise and think you could have or should have made this list, get in touch with TFN to tell us about what you do. You could post an picture on social media using #SocEntSummer and see if you get a mention in our weekly Best #SocEntSummer Social Media Posts, which will be published in print TFN.
TFN’s Social Enterprise Summer campaign is running throughout July and August - follow #SocEntSummer on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram to see how you can get involved.
